Produce promotions data found in new spot

Find the updated spreadsheet of retail produce promotion trends on the Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group link here. I update weekly stats on average retail promotion prices/average number of stores promoting for 20 fruits and vegetables, gleaned from the USDA's National Retail Report issued every Friday. The spreadsheet used to be at the bottom of the blog but now is available through a link at the discussion group.

Among other trends, the spreadsheet shows that retailers are losing their enthusiasm for promoting higher priced apples, with 2001 retail stores tracked by the USDA promoting red delicious apples on May 30 compared with 195 stores on Aug. 29. The average promotion price for red delicious for those promotions has climbed from $1.33 per pound on May 30 to $1.99 per pound by Aug. 29.

Expansion of harvest for the 2008 crop should start to pull those promotion numbers back up by the middle of this month.